Airplane



May 21, 1929. M. A. SZYMANSKI AIRPLANE Filed Jan. 16, 1928 m m M N 1 ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1929.. 1

MI CHAEL A. SZY'MLANSKI, F WARSAW, ,IE'OLAND.

AIRPLANE.

Application filed January 16, 192B. SeriaLNo. 247,136.

This invention relates to airplanes, and its object is to-prov ide means to facilitate the take-off and render easier the landing actions of an airplane and to increase its stability.

A constructional example'of the invention is. illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

in which Figure 1 is'a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of an airplane-of monoplane type to which the invention is shown applied.

Figure '2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale through the transmssion gear casing and a portion of the air conduit.

- a Figure 3 is a horizontal section through the fan chamber of the air conduit.

Figure 4 is a similar section through the draft tube of the air. conduit.

Referring now more particularly to the -drawing,.1 designates the body or fuselage 20, ofv the-airplane, which may be of any preferred type and construction, but which is shown in the present instance as having a 'monoplane type of supporting surface 2. The airplane is also shown as provided with a driving propeller -3 of tractor type, which may be designed to turn in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, but which in the present disclosure is designed to work in the first-named direction. This propeller is mounted upon the forward section 4 of a divided' main drive shaft driven by or from the motor 5, the main section 6 of which shaft extends rearwardly beyond the motor. A clutch 7 operable by a suitable control memher 8, is provided for connecting the shaft section 4 with or disconnecting it from the main shaft section, whereby the propeller may be thrown into and out of action at will.

' Carried by the body 1 coincident with its center of gravity is an air conduit opening through the base of the body and extending through the top thereof and through the supporting surface 2 .to a point just-above the highest point of the rarefaction surface of the latter. This conduit comprises a base chamber 9 of major diameter, a draft flue or tube 10'of minor diameter and an inter-.

mediate flaring portion 11 of a mean diameter. A vertical shaft 12 is arranged in the. portions 9 and .11 of this conduit and extends at its upper end into the lower end of the portion 10 of the conduit. Connected to this sh aft for,

rotation therewith within the chamber!) is a rotary turbine wheel 13.and carried by the upper end of the shaft for rotation in the draft tube 10 is aradial or spiral helicoptic propeller 14 ofa little less diameter than the diameter of said tube.

The parts 13 and 14 cooperate to provide. what I term a gyrocopter, namely,'a combined lifting and stabilizing device. The turbine wheel 13 is so constructed or so controlled in action that, when driven in one direction, it operates both as a gyroscopic stabilizer and as a lifting propeller and suction device,

which on such stabi-lizingand lifting actions draws air from above downward through the conduit. In 'thisdirection-of motion of the turbine 13, the propeller 14, which turns with and in the same direction as the turbine,-opcrates on the air flowing downward through the contracted tube 10 of the conduit to also exert an upward propelling or lifting action. As a result of these combined lifting actions, a powerful vertical lifting action, dependent upon the speed of operation of the parts 13 and 14, or the volume of air acted upon by them, as hereinafter described, will be obtained. The lifting action of the propeller 14- is made highly elfective inthis connection togive a comparatively-great lifting force, notwithstanding its small diameter. by reason of the fact that the air passing downward through-the contracted tube .10 of the con duit is condensed and raised from normal at mospheric pressure to a pressure of fromfive to six atmospheres. When the turbine 13, on the other hand. rotates in the opposite direction, both it and the propeller 14 turn idly, or without any working thrust on'the air, so that they serve simply as a gyroscopic stabilizer. This idling action or non-working thrust action, is'obtained either by a special construction of the blades of the turbine, or by m-aking the blades adjustable so that they may be rendered operative or inoperative againstthe air at will, or by governing the flow of air through the air. conduit, as hereinafter described.

The shaft 12 extends through a transmission gear casing 15 which receives the rear end of shaft 6, which latter carries a bevel gear 16. A sleeve 17 is feathered to slide upon and rotate-with the shaft 12 and carries two bevel gears 18 and-19respectively cngageable with an d diseucageable from the gear 16 by reverse sliding movements of the sleeve. Suitable shifting means, generally indicated at 20, is

' If set into action with the clutch out, the

clutch is thrown in after the motor has sufiiciently warmed up for a working action, whereby driving motion of the propeller 3 is established. When conditions are ready in its neutral position, propeller'l l may be set for a sustained pure for the take-off, the sl1ifter'20 is adjusted to .move the transmission gear 18 into engage ment with the gear 16, as a result of which the turbine wheel 13 and propeller 14 will be coupled to the motor to revolve with the propeller3. The propeller 3 may turn for a working action in either a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction. In the present instance, the propeller is illustrated as operating in a clockwise direction, and the turbine 13 and propeller 14.- revolve in a clockwise direction for cooperating therewith to obtain an augmented lifting force. The

additioncf the supplemental lifting force.

to the propulsive force of the propeller 3 reduces the length of the take-cit run in a launching action and increases the climbing speed of the craft, so that any intended straightaway flying level may be reached Within a reduced period of time. The turbine 13 .and propeller-14 may be maintained in operation for a lifting action, as thus described, until the plane re'aches the intended level for straightaway flight, when the wheel 13 and propeller 14 may be thrown out of if desired, by disposing the sleeve 17 action or the wheel 13 and ly gyroscopic stabilizing action by shifting gear 19-into engagement with gear 16. When gear 19 is shifted into engagement with gear 16, the turbine 13 and propeller 14 are rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, in which direction of rotation, as previously described,

they operate without working thrust on the air. In the event of damage to the propeller during either a take-off or a landing action, the clutch 7 may be thrown out and theturbine Wheel 13 and auxiliary propeller 14 employed to sustain the-machine and permit it to be graduallyand safely landed. By maintaining these elements in operation gyroscope during the flight of the craft, the

stability of the craft will be promoted and any tendency of the craft to go into a nose dive or tail spin or to lose its lateral stability will be prevented or reduced to a material extent. d

A damper or cover 21 adjustable through suitable means by the pilot, may be provided to partially or wholly open or close the air conduit to the flow of air to stop or regulate the flow as circumstances may require. This imaesaf damper may be left normally open or closed when required to any desired extent. When the damper is left fully open, the gyrocopter may be operated at full speed and under most favorable conditions to secure a maximum lifting action. This lifting action, under such'conditions, may be governed and regulated byfvarying the speed of the gyrocopter by correspondingly varying the speed of the engine or .byth-e use of suitable speed controlling gearg The lifting action of the gyrocopter may also be governed by closing the damper] tol fl a' greater or less extent and simultaneouslyregulating the speed of the gyrocopterL- If the gyrocopteris provided with blades folda'bleor otherwise adjustable to a non-working position during its gyroscopic action, or; when turned .in a counterclockwise direction, tlie'damper may be left fully open or closed as -desired. On the other prevented by closing thedamper fully to' prevent flowof air through the conduit. By the use of the damper with or without cha'ng- I ing the speedof the gyrocopter, variations in the lifting action of the gyrocopter may be.

obtained, and by adjustments of the damper jointly with a speed controlling action of the gyrocopter, a very elfective controlof the lifting force of the gyrocopter may besecured to -maintain stability or to govern the descent of the craft, or both, as circumstances may require. 1

While I have illustrated a certain construction, combination and arrangement of parts for carrying my invention into' practical effect, it will, of course, be understood that modifications in the construction, form" and arrangement ofparts may be made within the scope'of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 1

Having thus fully described my invention, I,claim:-- 1. An airplane having an air conduit extending vertically therethrough, a gyrocopter in said conduit operative when driven in one direction for lifting and stabilizing actions and when driven in the opposite direction for stabilizing action only, and means for driving said gyrocopter in either direction or throwing it out of action.

2. An airplane provided with an air con-. duit extending verticallytherethrough, said conduit. having a contracted portion, a rdtary turbine in said conduit below said contracted portion and having a lifting and stabilizing action when rotated in one direction, inwhich it draws air downward through the conduit, and having a gyroscopic stabiliizing action when rotated in the opposite direction, a propeller arranged in the contracted portion of the conduit, and means for rotating the turbine and propeller in unison.

3. An airplane provided with an air conduit extending vertically therethrough, said conduit having an enlarged lower portion forming a turbine chamber and a contracted tubular upper portion, a rotary turbine in said chamber, a propeller in said contracted tubular portion of the conduit, and means for driving the turbine and propeller in unison.

4. An airplane provided with an air conduit extending vertically therethrough, said conduit having an enlarged lower portion forming a turbine chamber and a contracted tubular upper portion a rotary turbine in said chamber, a propeller in said contracted tubular portion of the conduit, and means for simultaneously driving the turbine and propeller in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

5. An air plane provided with an air conduit extending vertically therethrough, said conduit having an enlarged lower portion forming a turbine chamber and a contracted tubular upper portion, a rotary turbine in said chamber, a propellerin said contracted tubular portion of the conduit, andvmeans for simultaneously driving the turbine and propeller in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction and throwing the same into and out of action.

6. An airplane having an air conduit extending vertically therethrough, said conduit having a widened base portion and a relatively contracted upper portion, a turbine wheel in the base portion operating in one direction of motion as a stabilizing and lifting element exerting a suction pull to draw air downward through the air conduit andpperating when rotated in the reverse direction as a gyroscopic stabilizer without air impulse action, a propeller in the contracted portion of the conduit, a shaft carrying said turbine wheel and propeller, a drive shaft, and means for connecting the first named shaft with the second-named shaft and disconnecting it therefrom and driving the first-named shaft in one direction or the other from the second a second shaft driven by or from the motor,

a third shaft arranged within the conduit, a turbine wheel mounted on said shaft in the widened portion of the conduit and operating in one direction of motion as a lifting element and gyroscopie stabiling element and to draw air downward through the conduit, a propeller carried by the third shaft and arranged in the contracted portion of the conduit, and gearing for connecting and disconnecting said third shaft from the second shaft and driving said third shaft in one direction or the other therefrom.

8. An airplane having-an air conduit extending vertically therethrough, said conduit having a contracted portion, a gyrocopter in said conduit including a turbine element and a a propeller, the latter operating in the contracted portion of the conduit, means for driving said gyroeopter, and a damper for closing the conduit or controlling the flow of air therethrough,

9. An airplane having anair conduit extending vertically therethrough and provided with relatively expanded and contracted portions, a rotary turbine operating in the .eX-

panded portion of the circuit, a bladed pr0 peller operating in the contracted portion of the conduit, and means for simultaneously driving said turbine and propeller in a clockwise or in a counter-clockwise direction.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature. MICHAEL 'A. SZYMANSKI. 

